20: Chapter 1: Welcome to Japa—No, Tracen Academy!
(5/15) 20: Chapter 1: Welcome to Japa—No, Tracen Academy!
(5/15) “Welcome to Tracen Academy, Tojo Keiko—” A welcoming ceremony like that was probably asking for too much…
Carrying her luggage, Keiko walked among the crowd of Umamusume, feeling as tiny as a single drop of water in the ocean.
She had never seen so many Umamusume in her life.
In fantasy anime, you wouldn’t usually gather rare creatures like elves to open a school, right?
Yet, in the Umamusume world, they did just that, and it was the largest campus in Tokyo.
While the massive size was indeed a necessity for training, owning such a vast plot of land in Tokyo’s prime real estate area only proved how incredibly wealthy the Umamusume industry was.
This made Keiko, who always tried to pinch every penny, feel like she was the only poor person in the world.
Still, having successfully avoided Diamond and Kita-chan’s invitations to come to Tracen together, Keiko felt a somewhat childish sense of excitement about starting her independent life.
Although she had never imagined actually enrolling in Tracen Academy at first—since she had no interest in racing—standing on this stage that countless Tracen students dreamed of didn’t make her feel excited at all.
But since this academy would be her home for the next three years, her plan was to spend three years here and then go to the University of Tokyo for graduate school.
Essentially, it was just changing schools to study, so it wasn’t a big deal.
After all, her academic ability was probably the only thing she could be happy about.
Learning everything incredibly fast was a small talent she had possessed since childhood.
But it ended there—otherwise, she would have become a famous master illustrator already, instead of dying of overwork and transmigrating here.
“Come to think of it…
where is the student council building?” Keiko looked around.
She couldn’t find anything resembling a student council building.
These structures felt like they were built as large as possible with no clear layout.
She was starting to struggle.
Rudolf had instructed her to report to the student council first.
She had no idea what kind of trap that troublesome president would lay for her.
Right now, Keiko’s opinion of Rudolf was extremely low—even if it was for her own good, she hated being manipulated.
“…This place is huge.
I’m completely lost.” Keiko wandered around a bit but couldn’t find her way.
How could a school this big not have any signs or maps?
She complained, insisting it wasn’t her lack of direction, but the school’s layout.
She would definitely dorm a formal complaint with Rudolf.
“Ah…
this looks like the club building.” Keiko slowly stopped walking.
She heard a very familiar piano piece, and drawn by the sound, she walked toward it.
‘So Umamusume has clubs here.
I thought they were all just running fanatics.’ Peeking through the window, she saw a black-haired Umamusume playing piano in an empty classroom.
All Umamusume looked as if they had been carefully designed, each one a beauty in her own way.
Even so, this black-haired girl playing Chopin’s ‘Nocturne No.
13’ was one of the most beautiful girls Keiko had ever seen.
The girl playing was focused entirely on the rhythm, as if she had forgotten the mortal world and lost herself in her art.
The notes flowing from her fingers slowly conveyed the composer’s sadness.
However, Keiko must have stared too intently.
The girl’s fingers slowed, and she turned her head to look at Keiko outside the window, scaring Keiko into quickly pulling her head back.
“…” The girl simply stared in Keiko’s direction with an expressionless face, looking like a perfect black doll.
When Keiko looked back up, the girl was already gone.
‘It seems I ruined her playing…
I should apologize if I see her again.’ Keiko still possessed the stubborn soul of an artist, so she respected the pianist.
Her performance was a flower nurtured by hard work.
Keiko had never heard such a beautiful rendition of ‘Nocturne No.
13’.
The piece was usually described as mysterious, terrifying, and tragic, but the girl’s playing felt like a girl running through a rose garden at midnight.
It wasn’t scary at all; instead, the fast-paced notes that followed brought a captivating excitement.
‘Ah…
I feel like I’ve heard this somewhere before…’ Keiko thought, but she couldn’t recall anyone in her memory who resembled this pianist.
Maybe it was just her imagination.
Since the girl was gone, Keiko resumed her journey to find the student council building.
She didn’t notice that the girl reappeared in the classroom, standing by the glass, watching her walk away.
Until Keiko disappeared from view, the doll-like, cold girl suddenly showed a smile on her lips.
“Tojo Keiko…
you really came…” Soon, music filled the room again.
This time, it wasn’t the ‘Nocturne’, but Beethoven’s ‘Für Elise’.
It was said Beethoven had written it for his favorite student, but it eventually became his most hated piece.
No one knew why, but no one could deny its brilliance.
Keiko had no idea what happened after she left.
Rushing through the school building, she crashed head-on into another student who was also in a hurry.
Both were small-sized Umamusume, and the impact sent them tumbling in opposite directions.
Keiko rubbed her head.
The girl before her was slightly shorter than her, possessing the cute charm of a small animal.
“Sorry…
I was running too fast and didn’t see you.
Are you from the middle school division?” “Eh?
Rice…
Rice isn’t in middle school…” Keiko’s words startled Rice Shower, who had been about to apologize first.
She quickly explained.
“Rice is just short…
I’m not a middle school student…” “I see…” Keiko found it hard to believe that an upperclassman could be shorter than her.
Diamond and Kita-chan, those two traitors, had shot up in height after maturation, and even gained some cup sizes.
She was the only one who, despite getting taller, remained stuck at a tragic A-cup.
‘Damn it…
Maturation could have at least tried harder.
Can’t I at least get a B-cup…’ Every time she thought of this, Keiko felt miserable.
Sweep Tosho was in the same boat, and the two had formed the “Is It Wrong to Still Be Flat-Chested After Maturation?
Alliance.” It sounded like a light novel title, but it was a serious matter.
Keiko would throw a tantrum if anyone brought it up.
They all graduated from the middle school division together, so why the disparity?
Maturation was bad civilization!
But looking at the girl who called herself Rice, Keiko’s sympathy welled up.
“It’s fine, some upperclassmen are like that too.
I’m sure you still have a chance to grow!” “Eh?” Rice blinked.
“Um…
Rice is…” “Ah!
Right, I need to find the student council!
Sorry, Rice-senpai, I’ll buy you a cola next time!” Seeing that she was about to be late, Keiko quickly said goodbye, missing Rice’s final words.
“You’re heading toward the training ground—ah, she’s gone.” Rice immediately realized that the girl must be lost; otherwise, she wouldn’t be running toward the training grounds while looking for the student council.
She wanted to chase after her, but the girl had already vanished.
She could only stop and mutter to herself.
“So fast…
she’s incredibly fast.” Keiko had thought about asking for directions, but getting lost on campus was too embarrassing.
She could only wander blindly, and ended up at the training grounds.
This was the largest area of Tracen Academy, containing simulated tracks for turf, dirt, sand, and clay, alongside a massive 3600-meter track.
It was a spectacular sight.
Many Umamusume were running, most wearing the red-and-white training uniforms.
The uniforms were incredibly durable, dirt-resistant, and easy to wash—practically advanced technology—and three sets were provided to each student.
It was very thoughtful.
But as Keiko watched the Umamusume train, she felt like a dreamless slacker like herself was just wasting the hardworking air of this place.
At that moment, someone noticed her—specifically, a pair of gray-haired Umamusume.
“Hey, look, a gray Umamusume—” Gold Ship patted McQueen, who was carrying a recruitment sign.
“How about we make her the final piece of Spica?!
We need more gray hair in our team!” “Is it really okay to recruit someone for such a shallow reason?” McQueen sighed as she looked at Keiko.
Her first impression was positive.
Although the girl’s hair was long enough to cover her eyes, her clothes were neat.
She looked delicate and quiet, not like a troublemaker.
Most of all, she radiated a youthful innocence.
McQueen understood why Gold Ship spotted her; in fact, Keiko hadn’t noticed that many other Umamusume around them were stealing glances at her too.
Part of it was her exceptionally beautiful appearance, but mostly it was her bright white hair and ruby-like eyes.
She looked like an innocent white rabbit, and even in a crowd, she possessed a quiet, detached elegance.
“Could she be some kind of idol…?” McQueen wondered.
“She really is a beautiful girl.” “Right?
Gold Ship’s eye is never wrong!
She’s dressed simply, but her uniform is brand new, so she must be a freshman.
We still have an open slot in Spica anyway, so why not recruit her?” Gold Ship suggested.
Although her reasoning was nonsense, the new girl did look promising, so McQueen reluctantly agreed.
“Okay, but don’t scare her off.” Before McQueen could finish her warning, Gold Ship plucked a tiny white flower from the lawn, stuck it in her mouth, put on sunglasses, and marched forward.
She circled around and approached Keiko from behind, whispering into her ear.
“Hey, miss.
Which club do you prefer: an interesting one with minor issues, or a boring one filled with dull Umamusume?” “Neither…” Although startled, Keiko answered seriously.
“If this is a sales pitch, I’m rejecting it right now.
I don’t have much money, and I’m in debt.” “Miss, you look free.
Want to join Gold Ship and experience the harmony of life and warmth of passion?” Gold Ship continued with her greasy pitch.
The bystanders, seeing it was Gold Ship, muttered things like, “Ah, it’s just Gold Ship being normal,” and “Hope that girl is okay.” “Want to join Spica?
It’s the school’s number one—” “Strong team?” “Weird team!” Gold Ship gave a thumbs-up while trash-talking her own team.
She was immediately sent flying by a running Rider Kick from McQueen.
“Stop talking nonsense!” “Gwahh!” Gold Ship rolled seven or eight meters away before pushing herself up, wearing an expression of disbelief.
“A ninja?!
Why is there a ninja here?!” “Stop using that obscure Ninja Slayer reference that nobody knows!” After kicking Gold Ship away, McQueen brushed her hair back and turned to Keiko.
“Sorry, my teammate was bothering you.
Our team isn’t entirely made of weirdos like her.
This was just an accident.” “…Oh…
okay.” Keiko blinked.
She had assumed this was some kind of Tracen recruitment tradition.
‘So this world isn’t entirely filled with weirdos.
I guess the rumors about an Umamusume splitting the sea with a kick, a little devil seducing trainers, or the ghost of a science teacher really are just urban legends.’ “But—as she said, Team Spica does have an open slot.
If you don’t mind, would you like to try joining us for a bit?” McQueen extended her hand.
“You can leave anytime if you don’t like it.
No strings attached.” Chapter 2: Wait, Am I a Treasure?
“Spica?” The first thing that came to Keiko’s mind was the astronomical term—Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo.
Using it as a team name suggested a romantic touch.
Spica also represented harvest in the West, which fit the Umamusume philosophy that hard work would bear fruit.
“Yes, it’s Spica!” Gold Ship, who had just been kicked seven meters away, returned with grass in her hair and introduced the team enthusiastically.
“We aren’t super famous yet, but we’re amazing!
Why not give it a try!” “Thank you for the offer, but I have a busy schedule.
If I get the chance, I will definitely drop by to say thanks!” Keiko politely declined using her standard customer-service rejection speech.
She was used to dealing with sales pitches.
But before she could escape, Gold Ship grabbed her arm.